When it comes to handicapping NCAA football (or any other sport, for that matter), desperate coaches can be very useful. When a coach is clearly and obviously on a hot seat and coaching for their continued employment sparks can often fly. You can’t always predict how coaches in these positions are going to respond. Some rise to the challenge by adapting their approach, adjusting their schemes, changing their staffs, and bringing renewed vigor to their job. Others get overwhelmed by the challenge and look even more lost than they already have. While you can’t be sure which approach coaches will take in these situations, what you can be fairly sure of is that something is definitely going to change, and change can be very useful for bettors who can spot it and capitalize on it. Here’s a look at five guys who are certainly on the hot seat this year:
This whole Detroit-Free-Press-started, ESPN-fueled scandal about possible NCAA violations at Michigan is quite possibly the stupidest thing I have ever seen. The basic story is that a couple of journalists (or should I say ‘journalists’) at the DFP talked to several current and former Michigan players and allegedly discovered that the players were practicing far more than they are allowed to NCAA rules. Instead of applying a little bit of rational thought and a bit of investigative journalism, the writers ran with it for all it is worth. Unfortunately for them, there are several reasons why their story is thoroughly ridiculous:
Monday Night Football is just a couple of hours away. I am torn in the game. The big thing that stops me from backing New Orleans enthusiastically is the loss of Sedrick Ellis. I have no idea what the impact of his absence will be, but I am very curious to find out. He’s really coming into his own, and he would have made it much harder for Minnesota to run. Since they can’t really pass, that would have been important. This isn’t going to be a classic game, but it is certainly an interesting one to consider. Talented but terribly flawed teams.